Valganciclovir

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Revision as of 17:59, June 24, 2018 by Kmdenmark (talk | contribs) (replaced abstracts with links; hyperlinks)

Valganciclovir (Valcyte) is an antiviral medication mostly used to treat cytomegalovirus infections. It is active against a number of herpesviruses.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome[edit | edit source]

Valganciclovir (Valcyte) is used off-label to treat patients with ME/CFS. Studies have shown mixed evidence of efficacy.

Valganciclovir (Valcyte) may improve systems by via its broad spectrum antiviral activity against latent herpesviruses, which may reactivate in immunocompromised patients, including ME/CFS patients. It may also have direct anti-inflammatory effects. ME/CFS patients have been shown to have chronic activation of microglia[1] and valganciclovir (Valcyte) inhibits microglia proliferation and activation.[2]

In a 2013 study by Montoya, et al, some improvement using valganciclovir was reported in a subset of ME/CFS patients with elevated IgG antibody titers against HHV-6 and EBV.[3]

Notable Studies[edit | edit source]

Learn more[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. Nakatomi, Yasuhito; Mizuno, Kei; Ishii, Akira; Wada, Yasuhiro; Tanaka, Masaaki; Tazawa, Shusaku; Onoe, Kayo; Fukuda, Sanae; Kawabe, Joji; Takahashi, Kazuhiro; Kataoka, Yosky; Shiomi, Susumu; Yamaguti, Kouzi; Inaba, Masaaki; Kuratsune, Hirohiko; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi (June 2014), "Neuroinflammation in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: An ¹¹C-(R)-PK11195 PET Study", Journal of Nuclear Medicine: Official Publication, Society of Nuclear Medicine, 55 (6): 945–950, doi:10.2967/jnumed.113.131045, ISSN 1535-5667, PMID 24665088
  2. Ding, Zhaoqing; Mathur, Vidhu; Ho, Peggy P.; James, Michelle L.; Lucin, Kurt M.; Hoehne, Aileen; Alabsi, Haitham; Gambhir, Sanjiv S.; Steinman, Lawrence; Luo, Jian; Wyss-Coray, Tony (February 10, 2014), "Antiviral drug ganciclovir is a potent inhibitor of microglial proliferation and neuroinflammation", The Journal of Experimental Medicine, 211 (2): 189–198, doi:10.1084/jem.20120696, ISSN 1540-9538, PMID 24493798
  3. 3.0 3.1 Montoya, JG; Kogelnik, AM; Bhangoo, M; Lunn, MR; Flamand, L; Merrihew, LE; Watt, T; Kubo, JT; Paik, J; Desai, M (2013), "Randomized clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of valganciclovir in a subset of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.", Journal of Medical Virology, 85 (12): 2101-9, doi:10.1002/jmv.23713, PMID 23959519
  4. Watt, T; Oberfoell, S; Balise, R; Lunn, MR; Kar, AK; Merrihew, LE; Bhangoo, MS; Montoya, JG (2012), "Response to valganciclovir in chronic fatigue syndrome patients with human herpesvirus 6 and Epstein-Barr virus IgG antibody titers" (PDF), Journal of Medical Virology, 84 (12): 1967-1974, doi:10.1002/jmv.23411, PMID 23080504